Audiovisual & Media Services Policy (Unit I.1)

The European Commission works to address structural challenges in media sectors and to promote a free, diverse and pluralistic media environment.

The Commission has launched a public consultation on the upcoming European Media Freedom Act.

The Commission has started consultations on its upcoming European Media Freedom Act.

The Commission has launched a call for evidence on the upcoming European Media Freedom Act, which aims to safeguard the integrity, pluralism and independence of the EU media market.

The Recommendation on the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists is part of the Commission's work to support media freedom and pluralism in the EU.

Download factsheets in English, French or German to learn more about the Commission's Recommendation on the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists and other media workers.

The Contact Committee has been established to monitor the implementation of the Audiovisual and Media Services Directive and the developments in the sector as well as to offer a forum for the exchange of views. The 55th Meeting of the Contact Committee will take place in Brussels on 17 June 2021.

The European Commission decided, on 7 May 2021, that the Latvian regulator's decision to suspend the retransmission of the channel Rossiya RTR for 12 months, due to incitement to violence or hatred, complies with EU law.

Between 23-25 March 2021, the Commission organised a structured dialogue on safety of journalists within the first edition of the European News Media Forum.

The European Commission launched a dialogue on the protection of journalists in the EU with a wide range of stakeholders, including journalists and their associations, news media companies, representatives of media councils, European Parliament, Member States and regulatory authorities as well as international partners.

As announced in the European Democracy Action Plan, the Commission will adopt this year a Recommendation to the Member States on safety of journalists. To gather input for the Recommendation, the Commission is organising a structured dialogue within the European News Media Forum on 23-25 March 2021. The Forum will be attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including journalists and their associations, news media companies, representatives of media councils, as well as representatives of the Member States and their regulatory authorities.

The Commission has launched a call for tenders to map existing rules and approaches in support of media plurality and cultural diversity, notably related to the prominence of general interest content.

The main objective of this study is to provide the Commission, member states and national regulators with elements to support the analysis of media plurality and diversity issues as well as the suitability of the current media-specific rules to safeguard media freedom and pluralism.

The Contact Committee has been established to monitor the implementation of the Audiovisual and Media Services Directive and the developments in the sector as well as to offer a forum for the exchange of views. The 54th Meeting of the Contact Committee took place in Brussels on 29 September 2020.

The study focuses on three areas, corresponding to regulatory novelties of the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD): video-sharing platforms (VSPs) media ownership rules and transparency, and overlays in audiovisual media services. For these areas, the study analyses market developments, business practices and technical approaches as well as legislative trends, including co- and self-regulatory initiatives. It covers the EU Member States and the UK, and includes case studies from Canada and the US (Study reference: SMART 2018/006)

The European Commission has presented this week its European Democracy Action Plan to empower citizens and build more resilient democracies across the EU. Standing up to challenges to our democratic systems from rising extremism and perceived distance between people and politicians, the Action Plan sets out measures to promote free and fair elections, strengthen media freedom and counter disinformation.

The European Commission invests EUR 1 million to foster transparency of media ownership in the European Union.

The European Commission has launched infringement procedures against 23 Member States and the United Kingdom for failing to enact the new rules governing EU-wide coordination of all audiovisual media, both traditional TV broadcasts and on-demand services, and video-sharing platforms. These new EU rules aim to create a regulatory framework fit for the digital age, leading to a safer, fairer and more diverse audiovisual landscape.

Today, the European Commission launched a call for proposals of €3.9 million to further support cross-border investigations as well as to map and address violations of press and media freedom.

The European Union is making EUR 3.9 million available for actions to support media freedom and investigative journalism.